Car-coupling.



830. 731. 7 PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

I J. MUNTON & G. A. HERMANSON.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9,1906.

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No. 830,731. PATENTED SEPT.11,1906.I

J. MUNTON & G. A. HERMANSON.

OAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR-9,1906.

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y f d lifirne ga UNITED. STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

JAMES MUNTON, OF MAYWOOD, AND GUSTAF'A. HERMAN SON OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SA ID HERMAN SON ASSIGNOR TO SAID MUNTON.

CAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 9,1906... Serial o. 310.708.

rammed Sept. 1 1, 1906.

To. all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES MUNTON, residing in Maywood, and GUsTAF A. HERMAN- soN, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, citizens of the' United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in car-couplers, and more particularly to improvements upon the car-coupler shownand described in the Gustaf A. Hermansonpatent, No. 812,927, of-February 20, 1906.

The object of our invention is to improve andperfect the car-coupler of-said Herman sonpatent, No. 812,927, and cause the knuckle to be more easily started in its opening movement and to enable the lock to automatically release or be withdrawn without raising the lifting-lever incase the draft-rig:

ging breaks, so that the knuckle may open and the coupler itself be supported by the lifting-lever, and'thus prevented from dropping upon the track, and to insure the more certain automatic seating of the lock in coupling the cars.

Our invention consists in the means we employ to accomplish this obj ect-or result: that is to say, it consists in providing the knuckle-throwing leg on the lock of said Hermanson patent couplerwith a secondary or initial knuckle-throwing toe or:projection andthe rear arm or tail of the knucklewith a. secondary cam or incline to be engaged thereby in giving the-knuckle its initial opening movement, so that the. knuckle may be started. open easily, in providing the back face of the lock near. its upper end with'a releasing cam or incline to enable. the lock to be withdrawn in-case of accident to the draftrigging Without raising the lifting-lever, and

. part of this specification, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a car-coupler, embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a siniilar view showing the lock in its raised position. Fig, 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is .a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line -5 5 of Fig.1, the knuckle and lock being removed. Fig. 6 is a detail horizontal section on line6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail side elevation of-the lock. Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation of the lock. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the knuckle.

In the drawings, Arepresents the drawbar; B, the draw-head, having the customary pivot-arm b and guard-arm b.

C is the pivot-pinf D, the knuckle; F, the gravity-lock, the same having a knucklethrowing leg f and a'lock-set leg f. The knuckle D has the customary front arm or nose dand rear arm or tail d. The rear arm or tail (1" of the knuckle has a transversely extending slot or passageway d to receive the knuckle-throwing leg f V of the lock F. This slot or passage-way d in the knuckletail is preferably curved about the pivot of the knuckle as a center and has a slight enlar ement d in its front walls (1 to permit the lock to tilt slightly forward at its lower end and backward at its upper end to enable the l0ck-set shoulders or ledges f 2 f 3 on the lock to properly engage the lock-setledges or shoulders b b in the bottom web or floor I) of the draw-head adjacent to the openings b" therein, through which the lmuckle-throwing leg f andlock-set legf of the lock F project. The knuckle-tail d is also'provided on the outer or pivot-pin side of the slot (1 with an upwardly-extending incline or cam (1 adapted to be engaged by the knuckle-throwing foot or projection f of the knuckle-throwing leg f of the lock F, and thus causethe knuckle to be automatically thrown open when the lock is lifted to the required extent. The tail orrear arm (1 of the knuckle D is also fur: nished with a shelf or incline d, adapted by its en ag'ement with the lower end of the knuck e-throwing leg f to support the look when the knuckle is open. The lower end of the knuckle-throwing leg of the lock is providedwith a beveled or inclined face f to adapt it to properly ride up the incline or 'shelf (1 of the knuckle-tail as the knuckle swings-open; The-lock F is also provided with a lock-set shoulder or ledg1 f adapted to engage the knuckle-tail an support the knuckle thereon as the knuckle swin'gs orbegins to swing open. The knuckle'D also has on its tail or rear arm a hook or projection (i which when the knuckle is closed engages the projection or shoulder b on the draw-head B, and thus affords an additional anchorage for holding the knuckle in the draw-head and in part relieving the pivot-pin C from strain; The foot or projection f on the knucklethrowing leg f of the lock F not only serves by its enga ement with the knuckle-tail to automatical y throw the knuckle open, but also serves as a means for preventing the look from being entirely removed from the coupler Without first removing the pivot-pin C and taking the knuckle itself out. In other words, it prevents the lock F from being raised too high. For this purpose also the knuckle-throwing cam or incline d is furnished with an extension (1 sli htly beyond the point necessary for fully t owing the knuckle open and which by engagement with said foot or projection f of the lock prevents the look from being removed when the knuckle is entirely open. The curved and inclined passa e-way d in the front wall of the slot d in the knuckle-tail'for the foot or projection f 4 of the knuckle-thrower-leg f has an open mouth d so that when the lock is raised to the proper position and the pivotpin C removed the knuckle can be removed from the draw-head and from its engagement with the lock-set leg f and foot or projection f. This permits the ready removal of the parts and their easy assembling.

To cause the knuckle to be easily started open, we provide the-glock-set leg f in addition to the knuckle-throwing foot or projection f 4 with an initial or secondary knucklethrowin toe or projection f which engages a secon ary or initial knuckle-throwing cam or incline (Z on the rear arm or tail (1 of the knuckle and which serves to start the knuckle open before the knuckle-throwing foot or projection f en ages the cam or incline (i The angles of t e initial knuckle-throwing cams or inclines f 8 and (Z are made comparatively sharp or easy, so that the knuckle will readily start open, and thus prevent any sudden blow against the main knuckle-throwing foot or projection f, which might tend to break the same off.

To enable the lock F to automatically release or be withdrawn in case of accident to the draft-rigging without raising the liftinglever G, which is connected to the lug F of the lock F by the link or clevis 9, we provide the lock F with a releasing cam or incline f at the back side thereof near its upper end, which enables the lock to be released or withdrawn by a backward pull thereon, such as takes place when b accident the draft-rigging gives Way an the draw-bar is pulled forward. This enables our improved coupler to automatically release in case of accident to the draft-rigging and also causes the coupler to be supported by the lifting-lever and lock after the lock has been withdrawn sufficiently to permit the knuckle to open, thus preventing the coupler from dropping upon the track and endangering the train.

To cause the lock F to properly and automatically seat itself or drop to place when provided with thereleasing-cam f which prevents the upper end of the lock from being.

normally properly guided by the walls of the opening in the draw-head in which it fits, we provide thelock F with a lock guiding or seating boss or rounded proj ection f preferably on the lock-set leg f thereof and the rear arm or tail d of the knuckle with the cooperating cam or curved surface 01 which engages said rounded projection ,or boss f on the lock andguides the lock to place, thus causing it to properly lockand seat itself with certainty and reliability. To prevent the look from creeping or accidentally moving upward when the train is in motion, we provide the draw-head with a lock-holding shoulder 6 which en ages a lock-holding shoulder f on the loc F. To cause these lock-holding shoulders to remain normally in proper engagement with each other, we provide the lock F with an inclined cap or flange F and the draw-head with acorrespondinglyinclined upper face I) and the lock F at its back with a lock-supporting shoulder f which engages the ledge or shoulder b on the bottom web or floor of the draw-head, and thus causes the lock to normally tilt forward by gravity.

We claim 1. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a knuckle having a transversely-extending curved slot in its rear arm or tail and provided with a knucklethrowing cam or incline, and an initial or secondary knuckle-throwin cam or incline, and a vertically-movable loc having a knucklethrowing leg fitting in said transverse slot of the knuckle-tail, and furnished with a foot or projection engaging said first-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckle-tail to throw the knuckle open, and with an initial or secondary knuckle-throwing toe or projection engaging said second-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckle-tail, said lock being provided with'a releasing cam or incline at its back near the upper end thereof to enable the lock to be automatically released or withdrawn so that the knuckle may open in case the draftrigging gives way, substantially as specified.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a knuckle having a transversely-extending curved slot in its rear arm or tail and provided with 'a knucklethrowing cam or incline, and an initial or secondary knuckle-throwingcam or incline, and

a vertically-movable lock having a knucklethrowing legfitting in said transverse slot of the knuckle-tail, and furnished with a foot or projection engaging said first-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckle-tail to throw the knuckle open, and with an initial or secondary knuckle-throwing toe or projection engaging said second-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckle-tail, said lock being provided with a releasing cam or incline at its back near the upper end thereof to enable the lock to be automatically released or withdrawn so that the knuckle may open in case the draftrigging gives way, said lock being further provided with a lock guiding or seating boss or rounded projection, and the knuckle-tail having a corresponding cam or curved surface to be engaged thereby and cause the lock to properly seat in coupling, substantially as specified.

3; In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two le s, one of which passes through the slot in the Imuckle-tail, one of said legs of the lock having thereon a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and also an initial knuckle-throwing toe or projection and the knuckle-tail having cooperating cams or inclines engaged thereby, substantially as specified.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail, one of said legs of the lock having thereon a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and also an initial knuckle-throwing toe or projection and the knuckle-tail having cooperating cams or inclines engaged thereby, said draw-head having a lock-holding shoulder and said lock having a cooperating lock-holding shoulder, substantially as specified.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail, one of said legs of the lock having thereon a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and also an initial knucklethrowing toe or projection and the knuckletail having cooperating cams or inclines engaged thereby, said lock having at its back near its upper end a releasing cam or incline, substantially as specified. v

6. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail, one of said legs of the lock having thereon a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and also an initial knucklethrowing toeor projection and the knuckletail having cooperating cams or inclines engaged thereby, said lock having at its back near its upper end a releasing cam or incline, said lock being further provided with a'lock seating or guidin boss or projection, substantially as specifie 7. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail, one of said legs of the lock having thereon a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and also an initial knucklethrowing toe or projection and the knuckletail having cooperating cams or inclines engaged thereby, said lock having at its back near its upper end a releasing cam or incline, said lock being further provided with a lock seating or guiding boss or projection, and said knuckle having on its tail or rear arma cooperating cam or curved surface, substantially as specified.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail and is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or projection, the knuckle-tail having a cooperating cam or incline for throwing the knuckle open as the lock is lifted, said draw-head and lock having cooperating lock-holding shoulders, substantially as specified.

9. In a car-coupler, the combination with aforked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail and is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or. projection, the knuckle-tail having a cooperating cam or incline for throwing the knuckle open as the lock is lifted, said draw-head and lock having cooperating lock-holding shoulders, said lock having at its back a lock-supporting shoulder to cause the lock to tilt forward at its upper end, substantially as specified.

10. In a car-coupler, the combination with aforked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail and is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or projection, the knuckle-tail having a cooperating cam or incline for throwing the knuckle open as the lock is lifted, said draw-head and lock having cooperating lock-holding shoulders, said lock having at its'back a lock-supporting shoulder to cause the lock to tilt forward at its upperend, and said lock also being provided with a releasing cam or incline at its back at the upper end thereof, substantially. as specified.

11. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail, of a lock having two legs, one of which passes through the slot in the knuckle-tail and is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or projection,

cause the lock to tilt forward at its upper end and said look also being provided with a releasing cam or incline at its back at the upper end thereof, and said lock being further provided with a lock seating or guiding boss or projection, substantially as specified.

12. In a car-coupler, the combination with a forked drawhead, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail furnished with a knuckle-opening cam or incline, of a lock having two legs, one of which is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and passes through said slot in the knuckletail, said draw-head having a forwardlyinclined upper face and the lock having a forweirdly-inclined cap or flange, substantially as specified.-

13. In a car-coupler, the combination with aforked draw-head, of a pivoted knuckle having a slotted rear arm or tail furnished with a knuckle-opening cam or incline, of a lock having two legs, one of which is provided with a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and passes through said slot in the knuckletail, said draw-head having a forwardly-inclined upper face and the lock having a forwardly-inclined cap or flange, said lock having a releasing cam or incline at its back near ltihg upper end thereof, substantially as speciwith a knuckle-throwing foot or projection and passes through said slot in the knuckletail, said draw-head having a forwardly-inclined upper face and the lock having a forwardly-inclined cap or flange, said lock having a releasing cam or incline at its back near the upper end thereof, and said lock and draw-head having cooperating lock-holding shoulders, substantially as specified.

15. Ina car-coupler, the combination with a forked draw-head, of a knuckle having a transversely-extending curved slot in its rear arm or tail and provided with a knucklethrowing cam or incline, and an initial or secondary knuckle-throwing cam or incline and a vertically-movable lock having a knucklethrowing leg fitting in said transverse slot of the knuckle-tail, and furnished with a foot or projection engaging said first-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckle-tail to throw the knuckle open, and with an initial or secondary knuckle-throwing toe or projection engaging said second-mentioned cam or incline on the knuckletail, substantially as specified.

JAMES MUNTON. GUSTAF A. HERMANSON. Witnesses:

PEARL ABRAMS, EDMUND AnoooK. 

